ASI® Announces “Distributors’ Extreme Makeover” Contest

Trevose, PA – Mar. 31, 2005 – Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI), the largest member organization in the $16.9 billion promotional products industry, announced today the “Distributors’ Extreme Makeover” contest, which will give three ASI distributor member firms the opportunity to compete head-to-head to demonstrate which can grow its business the greatest over the course of one year. 

The distributor firms will learn new ways to increase productivity, to stretch the boundaries of its current marketing efforts and to rethink how it does business in today’s competitive climate.

Each of the three finalists will receive one-on-one consulting throughout the year with renowned consultant and entrepreneur, David Blaise, to create strategic marketing and action plans for success. Blaise is the author of the renowned industry success system, Top Secrets of Multi-Million Dollar Producers and co-author of the book, The Power of Promotional Products . Edwards Garment, one of the industry’s leading providers of business apparel, will also provide each firm with a comprehensive and updated business wardrobe, to insure salespeople are looking their best on calls.

“The entrants and the finalists will learn more about the growth potential of their businesses and more about their personal capabilities,” said Timothy M. Andrews, ASI’s president. “This is a fun opportunity to provide an additional educational program for our members and to engage them further in the exciting and growing promotional products industry marketplace.”

The firm that achieves the greatest growth at the end of one year (a figure representing the increase in sales multiplied by ending profit margin) will win a suite of ASI products and services to use for five years and will have acquired newfound knowledge of operational and marketing best practices to continue propelling its business forward. The firm placing second will receive the suite of ASI products and services to use for two years and the third place winner receives one additional year.

“It will be enjoyable to have the opportunity to coach the three finalists and to help provide the springboard to achieve real results,” said David Blaise. “The resources available at ASI will play an integral role in planning and executing our strategies that we brainstorm.”

“As a leading promotional products industry supplier, I am excited that we are able to help create a polished and professional image for the three participating companies,” said Larry MacDonald, vice president of Edwards Garment Company. “It will be rewarding to contribute to successes in the marketplace.”

All North American ASI distributor member firms qualify to enter. Every firm that enters will receive a 30-day trial of ESP Online from ASI, the industry’s most advanced marketing and research tool, a copy of the audio training program Inside the Mind of a Promotional Products Client , by David Blaise, as well as an invitation to an online business-building seminar, co-hosted by ASI and Blaise.

For more information and to enter, visit www.dev-asicentral.com/makeover.  To learn more about the expertise of David Blaise, click on www.topsecretswebsite.com.  For more about Edwards Garment Company, visit www.edwardsgarment.com.

About ASI 
Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest media organization serving the promotional products industry, with a membership of 20,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of promotional products. Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to more than 17,000 ASI distributor firms. Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain more than 700,000 promotional products, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers. ASI provides catalogs, informational directories, newsletters, magazines, websites and databases, and offers interactive e-commerce, marketing and selling tools. Visit www.dev-asicentral.com.